This  means 'thinking about thinking', or 'learning how to learn', or 'knowing about knowing'.

When you think about how you know things or how you think - then you are engaged in metacognition.

Most educational theorists think it is very important for learners to engage in metacognition. In order to do this they will need some metacognitive skills. These help us to understand ourselves, our strengths as well as our limitations and weaknesses.  Only then can we address these weaknesses.  The most important thinking skills that require metacognition are planning, predicting, checking and monitoring. 

In order to help learners develop these skills,

• ask them how they think their mind works,
• frequently advise them to stop and think,
• re-read the instructions 
• use a dictionary

Have another look at the quotations that pop up on the introduction page of this module. You will now realise that those children are engaged in metacognition - to greater and lesser degrees!

Allow your mouse pointer to wander around these photographs, and see what pops up.

Robert Fisher. New Learning Frontiers, October 1999